Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Under Currents: A Novel
- Author: Nora Roberts
- Narrator: January Lavoy
- Length: 14:41:35
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 09/07/2019
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Genre: Romance, Fiction & Literature, Mystery, Contemporary Women
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s a particular magic that happens when a gifted storyteller like Nora Roberts pairs with a narrator who understands the rhythm of human resilience. As I listened to “Under Currents” while driving through Vermont’s Green Mountains – where the autumn leaves mirrored the fiery emotional arcs of Roberts’ characters – I was reminded of those Oaxacan evenings when stories weren’t just told, but “lived”. January Lavoy’s narration achieves that same alchemy, making every mile of my journey feel like walking alongside Zane and Darby through their Blue Ridge Mountains.
Roberts crafts a dual narrative of survival that resonates deeply with anyone who’s ever carried the weight of place. Zane Bigelow’s childhood home – that picturesque facade hiding violence – reminded me of a hacienda I once visited in Argentina, where cracked stucco walls concealed generations of silenced stories. Lavoy’s voice trembles authentically during Zane’s flashbacks, her pacing slowing to a predatory crawl during abusive scenes, then blooming into warm, honeyed tones when depicting Darby’s botanical sanctuary. The audio production deserves special praise for how it layers environmental sounds: the crunch of gravel under police boots contrasts beautifully with delicate garden water features in later chapters.
What makes this audiobook exceptional is how Roberts’ themes of cyclical violence and hard-won healing benefit from the spoken format. Listening to Zane’s father’s tirades (Lavoy’s sharp, nasal delivery making my hands clench the steering wheel) creates visceral tension that print can’t replicate. Yet it’s the quieter moments that linger – like Darby explaining perennial growth patterns to clients, Lavoy’s voice softening as if kneeling in soil alongside her. These are storytelling choices that echo my grandmother’s wisdom: trauma needs space to breathe before it can transform.
The 14-hour runtime allows for luxuriant character development, though some listeners might find the small-town subplots meandering. While Roberts’ signature romantic elements satisfy (the love scenes are tactile without being gratuitous, Lavoy’s breath control masterful), it’s the exploration of chosen family that truly shines. A scene where Zane teaches Darby to fish – their laughter skipping across the lake audio like stones – captured the same bittersweet joy I felt sharing campfire meals with strangers in Patagonia who became lifelong friends.
Compared to Roberts’ “The Obsession” (another survivor narrative), “Under Currents” benefits from Lavoy’s superior handling of male voices and her deliberate restraint in the courtroom climax. Fans of Kristin Hannah’s “The Great Alone” will appreciate similar themes of geographical healing, though Roberts leans more toward community than isolation as the antidote to pain.
May your next journey – whether through mountains or memories – be accompanied by stories that heal. Until the next adventure,
Marcus Rivera
